WERAN 21/92 - France: The alleged police assault on Jacques Cherigui

Jacques Cherigui, a 48-year-old mechanic, was arrested by police officers at his flat in Argenteuil on 11 June 1992. In a statement to AI, he alleged that police used violence and racially abused him during and after the arrest. According to his statement, the police arrived at his flat at 4pm. He apparently demanded an explanation before letting them in; they did not give a satisfactory answer and an officer at the police station was also apparently unable to explain their presence. After allowing the police in, he was allegedly violently seized and handcuffed, then thrown into a van and brought to the police station. During the journey he was reportedly ill-treated and called a "wog" ("bougnoul"). He was released after 19 hours, charged with resisting arrest and insulting the police.